20110911-20 ENGLAND

SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER – 10 years since 911 and what a world changing event that turned out to be. We were in Croatia when we got the news and someone on the beach said they weren’t interested as it would not affect them! Late morning it is back to Claire’s. We borrow her car and drop Daniel in Haworth then visit Dad who is at Thomson Court for the week. Time for the final decorating push putting on the wallpaper. Nat has chosen a nice design of large flower heads in black silver and white. A couple of hours later the job is finished and it looks stunning although nothing stands close scrutiny! KEIGHLEY 3, SANDRAS

MONDAY 12 SEPTEMBER – It’s pretty windy as England braces for the aftermath of the hurricane. Walking to town we meet Graeme Jackson, his wife Sue use to work for us at the Post Office, and catch up with their news. The most stunning part is that their son Mark served in the army in Iraq and returned unscathed only to get stabbed in Keighley and nearly die. We help Claire with the kids taxi service then return home to be rocked to sleep by the wind. KEIGHLEY 4, SANDRAS

TUESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER – Our 36th wedding anniversary and a slightly different day for weather from the one we spent in Australia last year. In the afternoon I have to go back to the hospital to see the gynae. Turns out that whilst I don’t have cancer in my womb things are not completely normal and need keeping an eye on. They want me to have another hysteroscopy in January so I will probably fly back for that. At Claire’s we enjoy a pizza meal with the family then head off to the Picture House, £5.50, to see the Inbetweeners. It is a spin off from the TV series about 4 lads who finnish school then go to the party resort of Malia on holiday. We have a really good laugh at their antics. KEIGHLEY 5

, SANDRAS WEDNESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER – We borrowed Claires car last night so Steve leaves at 7am to return it. I manage to go back to sleep until almost 10am then walk up and make the most of the wind to do dry the washing outside. We are waiting for 2 important bits of mail before we can leave the country and one of them arrives so fingers crossed the other comes tomorrow then we can start heading south. KEIGHLEY 6, SANDRAS

THURSDAY 15 SEPTEMBER – We walk to town to do last minute shopping and tie up a few lose ends in the hope of leaving tomorrow. On the way back we call in at Mum and Dads and they come up to Claire’s for lunch. It is a lovely sunny day and we try to have the windows open but the wasps get the better of us. After lunch we sit and watch an Andre Rieu DVD together. A knock on effect of the antibiotics for my tooth is that I have thrush back and end up having to get a prescription from the Doctor’s. No one is staying in the house tonight so we decide to stop. Steve goes out to bowling with his old cronies. Throughout the night I am in a bad way, the thrush is itching like mad but worse still I am breaking out in a rash in other places of my body, according to the leaflet this is one of the serious side effects the medicine can cause. I spend the night scratching, trying not to scratch and getting up and putting cream on myself! KEIGHLEY 7, CLAIRES

FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER – I’ve had a terrible night and finally get some sleep after Claires alarm goes off at 6.30am. Can’t believe it when we wake at 10.45am. In the daylight we can see how bad my rashes are with a massive swelling under my left armpit. I try to speak to someone at the Doctors but have to wait for a call back. Late morning Mom takes me down and the doctor says I am allergic to the thrush pessary. He prescribes a different tablet for thrush, anti histamines and anti itch cream and says I will be fine in a couple of days. KEIGHLYE 8, SANDRAS

SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER – The rash shows no sign of improving and I do everything I can to ease the itching, yoghurt, bicarbonate of soda paste etc. Our departure plans are now definitely on hold. We stay at Claire’s overnight, home alone, so that we can be there when Daz drops the kids off early tomorrow. KEIGHLEY 9, CLAIRES

SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER- The kids don’t arrive, Daz is not well and taking the day of. Once Claire gets back we borrow the car to go to Richard Johns’. There we meet his new girlfriend Jane who is really nice. We chat through a Sunday roast and until Jane has to leave to catch a train to London. She is a dentist and teaches others dentists at Leeds university, it turns out they have a medical school there where I could have gone and got free instant treatment for my tooth. Richard has told us about a programme “Mrs Brown’s daughters” and by chance Daniel has recorded last night’s episode. In it she does a bikini wax which burns and gives her a rash so she stands in front of the fridge wafting the door to cool herself – now that’s an idea. KEIGHLEY 10, SANDRAS

MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER – The rash is on the move, down my arm, up my neck and down my legs – with luck when it gets to the end it will drop off. In the evening Claire and Richard take us out to The Russian Restaurant for Steve’s birthday. It has a very interesting menu and the food and company are excellent. KEIGHLEY 11, SANDRAS

TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER – Move the van to Claire’s for what should be our last night in England. She wants a wardrobe moving to Richards and to do this we have to completely empty the stuff from our garage to the inside of the motorhome to fit the wardrobe in the garage. Claire returns home mid morning with a migraine. My rash is definitely on the way out so I book us on the P&O ferry for tomorrow night to Calais, £31. We’ve also heard from a Couchsurfer near Barcelona who is a fellow motorhomer. Not only do the couple want to meet us but they have a place where we can store the motorhome in their garden whilst we do a cruise. This is enough to prompt me to go on line and book the HAL Ryndam 11 night cruise out of Barcelona on 23rd Octrober, (£558 each). Think this will be just what I need to complete my recovery. KEIGHLEY 12, CLAIRES